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Target vows to explore more ‘innovative’ marketing after TV branded content project

Target has said it will continue to explore “new and innovative” ways to engage with the public after insisting it was “very happy” with the response to its one-off branded content TV show earlier this week.

Style the Nation, which aired on Seven on Tuesday night at 10pm and drew an audience of 335,000, was the culmination of a four month campaign that started in June when five women were chosen from more than 8000 applications to receive a makeover from designer Gok Wan.

The one-hour special was considered one of the biggest branded content TV events in Australia and will have been viewed with interest by other brands considering similar marketing tactics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz-0g9bxhaQ

Target said the format was chosen as the best way “to showcase Gok’s passion for making people of all  shapes and sizes look and feel their best with great fashion”.

“We’ve had some great feedback about the program, and we’ll continue to look for new and innovative ways to engage with our customers about our improving fashion, style and quality, and our lowered prices,” a spokesman told Mumbrella.

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“We use a range of channels to communicate with customers, and to allow them to communicate with us. We are active in both traditional marketing channels as you might describe them, and emerging channels. In the case of our Style the Nation concept, we felt that this was a format that would showcase Gok’s passion for making people of all  shapes and sizes look and feel their best with great fashion – show customers that Target help them with great style and quality, and with lowered prices.”

The retailer said it was very happy with the viewing figures but stressed Style the Nation was not just the TV program but part of a four-month campaign.

“It has generated significant attention and interest in the Target brand,” the spokesman said.

It is unknown how much Target invested in the campaign but the amount was described as “significant” by Justin Ricketts, the chief executive of branded content specialist Ensemble which worked on the project.

Ricketts added that unlike some brands, Target took a “sophisticated” approach to branded content while others have “abused” the practice and turned it into a “dirty word”.

Responding to questions on its Facebook page over whether Style the Nation would return, Target said: “We haven’t announced any plans to do another Style The Nation but keep an eye on social media just in case”.

  • BEfest logoNext week sees Mumbrella’s annual branded entertainment conference BEfest in Sydney. The event includes a session chaired by Ricketts examining brand funded television initiatives and integrations. The full program can be viewed via this link.
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